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MAY 2008 Aldenham Radlett & Shenley Team Ministry
FROM YOUR ‘SOMETIME READER’
Hope Dear Friends, I write as it is snowing! What a setback coming just as we thought winter was over and done with. I don’t know about you, but I have felt that January, February and March this year in particular were dark and full of despond. Each time I read the newspaper or put on the television news there was nothing to cheer me: bombings in Basra, threatening financial collapse, nasty murders, global warming, sexual peccadillos and so on, seldom anything funny or light-hearted. I suspect that many of us looked on and wondered what the world was coming to, as well as worrying what the future held for our children and grandchildren. All this was mirrored in nature; lovely spring flowers and blossom to lift our hearts only to have them battered by snow and strong winds. Apparently there are more suicides in April than in any other month of the year! Surprised? I attended a funeral for an atheist recently, another source of gloom – no hymns, no prayers, just nothing. But it did make me realise what a gift of hope we have in the Christian faith, and belief in the resurrection. Death is not the end, only the beginning of another form of existence. The human race with its dependence on God, whether or not acknowledged, is pretty resilient. We see time and again how disaster is turned into something positive by caring people. We are shaken out of our self-centeredness to love and care for each other. Despite all the despond at what is going on around us we can still carry joy in our hearts and the hope that in the end all will come well. After all, summer is just round the corner! God bless Jill Whitfield PARISH NEWS AND NOTICES
Sunday school Sunday School will take place this month on 4th and 18th May. Following half term it re-starts on 8th June. Special services On Sunday 11th May at 10.30am a Team Service will be held at Christ Church, Radlett. (There will not be a 10.15am service at Aldenham on this day.) Concert in the church The ‘Shades of Blue’ concert held in the Church on 12th April raised £468.53 for Church Funds. A big ‘thankyou’ to all who made the evening such a success. Coffee morning The next regular Coffee Morning with bring-and-buy, cake stall and raffle will be held in Church on Saturday 17th May from 10.30am – 12noon. Forthcoming events July 19th Coffee Morning - 10.30am at the Harts Retreat 08 - This year’s retreat will be held over the weekend May 16th – 18th at the Chelmsford Diocesan Retreat House at Pleshey. Revd. Robert Brown (St. Albans Diocese Local Ministry Officer) will lead and his address will be based on the subject of “Hope”. Contact the Vicar or Bob Ogden (01923 856039) if you are interested. FROM THE CLUBS Aldenham womens institute The next Womens Institute meeting is on Tuesday 13th May for Resolutions and will be at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall, Letchmore Heath. The competition will be ‘A photo/picture of an old bike’. Anyone wishing to join the WI may contact Joan Marsh on 01923 854144 for information. Welcome club – This month’s meetings will be on Thursdays: 1st (outing) and 15th May. PARISH REGISTER Funeral A funeral service was held for Dora Fongho on Saturday 5th April 2008. Marriage Anne Wormsley and Andrew Austin were married here on Saturday 12th April 2008. Baptism James Thornton and Jordon Uzoho were baptised here on Sunday 13th April 2008. TIMEKEEPING IN ALDENHAM FOR 150 YEARS The clock in the church tower was put up by General Sir Adolphus John Dalrymple of Delrow House in memory of his wife Anne who died on 10th May 1858. There is an inscription in the tower that reads: “Her energy of mind, her activity, and her industrious regularity mark the fitness of this memorial which will benefit the inhabitants of the place she loved, and will assist them in forming habits of order and punctuality.” The clock was made by one of the Vale family, probably George Frederick. His father was apprenticed to B. L. Vulliamy, the famous clockmaker to Queen Victoria. Vulliamy was almost certainly the designer of the clock. On his death in 1853 the clock business passed to Frodsham and the watch business to the Jump family, whose nameplate is on our clock. In the 19th century it was quite common to take an order for anything horological and then get the specialist to make it. The trade had no problems in putting anyone’s name on a clock or watch, provided it was paid for! Access to the clock is from the ringing room via a vertical ladder and trapdoor. The clock is handwound every week – a very strenuous task. The two weight shafts, which extend from the clock down to way below ground level, can be seen in the corners of the tower either side of the west door, and nearby is a photograph of the clock mechanism. John Southey
ROYAL MAIL CATHEDRAL STAMPS On 13th May Royal Mail will be issuing a set of stamps featuring cathedrals. The background is that the Church of England complained that the 2006 Christmas stamp designs had no Christian connection. This was put right in 2007. It will be interesting to see the Christmas 2008 stamp designs - on sale from 4th November. John Lander ROBERT SAMUEL INWOOD 1912 - 1994 ‘Chosen of the Lord’ Some of you will remember Bob Inwood who lived at High Cross and who was a true and loyal servant of Aldenham Church. Bob worshipped in the Church and sang in the choir for most of his life. He was at various times sacristan, crucifer, verger, organist and probably many other things as well. The title ‘Chosen of the Lord’ was Bob’s own interpretation of Samuel and he would announce it proudly if prompted. When Bob died there was a wonderful Memorial Service in Church but no record of his life on the Inwood family grave. Nearly 14 years later (!) I have decided to remedy this and with Isla Hart’s splendid detective work was able to contact Bob’s niece who would be happy for us to go ahead and do this. I do hope some of you might feel able to contribute towards this project and any amount, however small, would be very much appreciated. I hope we would be able to hold a simple dedication and thanksgiving at the grave when the inscribed stone is complete. Early November might be a good time as Bob died on 5th November and both All Souls and Remembrancetide fall at this time. Do please ring me if you would like to know any more and hopefully we will all be able to give Bob the recognition he deserves. Our lovely vicar Robert is very supportive of the project! SP Sally Pochin 01923 854908
APRIL PUZZLETIME ANSWERS
1. A man is stranded in his tent. He has a gas stove, a paraffin heater, a candle, a wax taper and only one match. Which should he light first?
The man should light the match first! 2. The sheep are in their pen and some of them are ewes. The number of sheeps heads multiplied by the number of sheeps hooves multiplied by the number of ewes’ tongues equals 200. How many sheep are there, and how many of them are ewes? In the pen there are 5 sheep, of which 2 are ewes.
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